The Du Page Affair Ch. 01

This is an original work by Zeb_Carter and is protected under (c) copyright by U.S. copyright law. It is only being submitted at Literotica.Com and any submission to any other site has not been authorized by the Author.

Miss Michelle Du Page hurried down the walkway as she left her dorm room. Her hair was fluffed by the breeze that cooled her as she hurried to her first class of the morning. She was very excited as she thought about her first morning at medical school. It was late September and this morning she would have her first class in anatomy. She had studied over the summer and was sure she would pass this class with flying colors.

As she walked to the medical building she didn't seem to notice the man walking behind her. He had waited in the damp chill morning air for her to come out of her dorm. He was delighted to see her walking down the walkway. He hurried to keep her in sight as she rushed in the opposite direction. He stayed back far enough, he hoped, so as not to be noticed by her as he didn't want her to know that he was keeping his eye on her.

Michelle arrived at the building her class was being held in and entered. Down the long hallway she faced were doors spaced every twenty to thirty feet. She needed to find room one-twenty-seven. The hallway was crowded with students and faculty as they all headed for their next class. Finding her classroom a third of the way down the hall was a stroke of pure luck. Another student had come rushing by her muttering the classroom he was going too. He led her right to it. She looked around for him in the room and too her surprise didn't find him. She was sure he had entered. In fact she had only been two or three people behind him. How could he have gotten out of the room without passing her? She filed it away for thought later. Right now she needed to devote all her attention to class. She was going to be a doctor, a good doctor.

Class was over before she was ready to stop. It was so much fun learning new things. And the human body fascinated her. She was hurrying to her next class when she was almost run down by another student hurrying the other way. They said their excuse me's and each hurried on. Her guardian was still with her although she seemed still not to have notice his presence. He smiled the whole time she was in sight. Once she entered another building he hurried to catch up to her. As he entered he was pulled to the side and pushed against the wall.

"Why are you following me?" she asked trying to sound tough.

"What makes you think I'm following you? I don't even know you. Even now I don't know who you are!"

"You were outside my dorm this morning and followed me to class then you followed me here. Who are YOU?" Michelle was frightened out of her mind. This guy was twice her size and could probably pick her up and throw her across the room.

"Listen lady, I don't know what you're talking about, nor do I want too. Now let go of me before I have to get rough with you." She let go of him and jumped back.

He slowly turned to face her. It wasn't the same guy from this morning. Shocked, she put her hand to her mouth and started to apologize.

"I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else. Please forgive me?" She wasn't frightened anymore, just embarrassed. This guy was really good looking, a little older than her tastes ran, but still age isn't everything.

"Sure, I forgive you. But only if you'll have lunch with me at the student union?" He had a nice smile too.

"Gee, I don't know."

"It's a public place. My name is Mike, Mike Sullivan." He stuck out his hand for her to take. She stood there staring at him.

"Um...my name is Michelle, Michelle Du Page." She took his hand in hers. He gently squeezed and shook hers.

"Then I'll see you at...what...twelve sharp, in the student union."

"Ok, I'll be there Mike." He kept holding her hand and staring into her eyes. Michelle wasn't used to this and soon tried to pull her hand loose.

"I'm sorry." He said as he released her hand. She turned and walked away leaving Mike alone in the foyer. Shaking his head his appearance changed to that of her guardian, a man much older than he had appeared to her.

Stepping through the door to the hall beyond 'Mike' continued to follow Ms. Du Page. After all she was cute and it was his duty to protect her. And she was to be protected at all costs, her future was important not only to him but to others as well.

Michelle was shaking as she went to her next class. She had never, ever done anything like that before in her life. Where she had gotten the courage she did not know. Where the strength had come from she guessed was fear. She had little attention for her class on immunology as her mind raced with the adrenalin pumped into her veins at the confrontation in the foyer. After what seemed like hours her current class ended and she was free until two pm that afternoon.

She went back to her dorm room to drop her books off before going to the student union. Then dashed into the bathroom to splashed cold water on her face as she was suddenly fatigued. She wandered slowly over to the student union not really wanting to go but wanting to keep her word. Her word meant everything to her.

As she entered the student union she spotted Mike sitting alone in a corner gazing around the room at all the other students. She made her way to his table and was standing before him before he noticed her.

"Hi, Michelle, I'm really glad you made it."

"I said I would," she retorted scowling at him. Why she had come to meet him was beyond her.

"Please sit." He indicated the chair across from him as she pulled it out.

She sat down trying to compose her thoughts as she struggled with getting the chair to move closer to the table. By the time she succeeded she was calm again. Mike had stood there waiting for her struggles to stop. He would have offered to help but he felt she would have rebuffed him. When she finally looked up he was seated and looking at her intently.

"You mentioned lunch?" She looked at him quizzically.

"You bet, its buffet style, follow me." Mike rose, waiting patiently for Michelle. Once she got up he led her to the buffet line. They picked up a tray and started to load down the tray with all manner of delicious looking food. Michelle had never been much of an eater but with what had happened earlier she found herself absolutely famished.

Mike paid for everything and carried the tray back to their table. He placed the tray to one side and snatched a plate off of it placing it in front of Michelle. He then grabbed another for himself. Michelle ate with relish as she carefully watched Mike out of the corner of her eye. Mike appeared to not be paying attention to Michelle at all. He appeared to be engrossed in the plate of food in front of him.

"Great food huh," Mike said with his mouth half full? Even though she might have been repulsed by his actions earlier in her life, she had seen many of her friends act just as Mike had and now thought nothing of the loss of manners.

Although Mike appeared to be paying attention to nothing at all except his food, he was in fact studying every pore of Michelle's face. At the same time he was keeping his eye on three men across the room. Three men who had just entered after Michelle and now sat conspicuously at a table near the west door. As long as Michelle stayed here they wouldn't make a move, too public for their tastes, but Mike was under no such compunction.

"Excuse me a moment Michelle." He rose without waiting for her answer and walked toward the men. They didn't seem to notice him until he was almost on top of them and then it was too late. As Mike had walked toward the out of place men, three others had moved to a position behind each man, waiting for Mike.

"Stinky what the hell are you doing here?" Mike softly asked the man directly across the table from him.

"Don't call me that. And sit down you're drawing attention to us."

"I am aren't I? Well too bad Stinky. I want you and your men out of here in two minutes."

"Or what, you'll throw us out? That's a laugh."

"Now!" All three men were grabbed by the jacket shoulders and hauled out of their seats by the three big burly wrestlers Mike had signaled. "This is a private facility and you are not wanted here." Mike yelled as the three men were thrown out the door.

"Thanks guys."

"No problem Mike." The biggest of the three said as they headed back to their seats. Mike returned to the table where Michelle sat wide eyed.

"What was that all about?" She asked softly.

"They didn't belong here and weren't wanted here."

"And who are you to decide that?"

"Just a student here Michelle, like yourself. Look around, do you see anybody but students here?" Michelle looked around the room.

"No just students. But that doesn't give you the right to throw them out."

"Big sign out front – "Students Only" – does." Mike winked at Michelle.

"This isn't the first time you've done something like this, is it?" She was right, Mike had spent a long time polishing his skills and making the right friends here.

"No and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"You won't get in trouble?"

"I hardly think so those guys don't belong on campus, let alone here in the Student Union."

"Who were they?" Michelle asked not really wanting to know the answer.

"They were here to stop you."

"Stop me from what?" She was confused now.

"Stop you from becoming a doctor."

"What?" Michelle was not only confused but fear was starting to fill her as Mike told her these things. "Why would anyone want to stop me from becoming a doctor?"

She stared at Mike who now sat mute, his sad eyes looking into Michelle's. Michelle was suddenly very frightened. It was her first day at school and she was being told there were people who didn't want her becoming a doctor.

"Are you finished with lunch? Maybe you would like to take a walk in the park?"

Michelle shook her head to try and clear it of the confused thoughts that were rampaging through her brain. She sat there almost in a trance as she processed the information she had been given. Mike had told her very little but she seemed to have gained a lot of knowledge. Was he asking her to walk with him so he could possibly tell her more? She made a decision.

"Sure, why not, a walk in the park sounds good." She rose, Mike rose with her. He took her hand and led her to the South door. Once outside Michelle relaxed slightly and enjoyed the warmth of Mikes hand wrapped around hers. The park was a very short walk from the Student Union and as they entered the park a buzzing sound started from Mike's jacket pocket.

Michelle looked at Mike as he fished the buzzing object from his jacket pocket. He flipped it open and pressed one of the buttons on it. He then held it up to his ear and said 'What' to no one. Michelle thought he had gone mad.

"What?

"No I haven't, not yet.

"I will. Within the next ten minutes.

"Later."

Mike folded the object and put it back in his pocket, then turned to Michelle.

"What was that?" Michelle asked calmly, curiosity of the unknown peeked her interest.

"It's my phone."

"That wasn't a phone, not that small." She was astounded by Mike's claim.

"It's a very advanced model. They won't be on the market for a couple of years."

"Then how did you get one?" Michelle was starting to get a little leery of Mike.

"Michelle, calm down. I have something to tell you." Mike stopped turning to face Michelle. "I am here to make sure you complete your studies. Stinky, better known as John Appleby, the man I was talking too in the Student Union, is here to see you don't."

"Why? What?" Michelle was bewildered by what she had just heard. She would be even more bewildered by his next statement.

"Sometime in the future, you will do...save...someone of import. You won't know it at the time, but much later it will change the course of history and affect the planet as a whole. I know this because I am, I can see...I know about the future."

"You travel in time?" Michelle's knees were weak and her mind was racing.

"No, I don't travel in time."

"But you just said you are from sometime in my future!" Michelle was confused and bewildered, two states she had never been in before in her life. Her knees were about to give way as she swayed in the breeze.

"Why don't we sit over here?" Mike helped her to a bench close by. Made sure she was ok and calmly took her hand in his. "I am one of ten people discovered so far that has the ability to access my knowledge whenever it may be learned. In other words I know what my future self knows and he knows what I know. Pasts and futures are one to us, although I know what will happen in my future, I cannot really change my future as I won't know it until it happens. Kind of confusing I know."

Michelle sat there trying to digest what she had just heard. She stared into Mike's eyes as she tried to decide whether he was completely crazy and should be referred to the psych ward or believed.

"So you know what is going to happen tomorrow?"

"I know what will happen to the person who is me in the time we call tomorrow, whether that happens to me or not is another question as I haven't gotten there yet."

"Ok, now I'm really confused. You said you know what happens in the future. You also said you can't change what happens in the future. I'm...."

"I can't change my future, but others can change my future. I know what my future holds until someone changes it then I know what that future holds. If you think you're confused, try being me, a bunch of futures and pasts running around in my brain."

"Can you tell me when I will save this person?"

"Sure, maybe, the future is fuzzy with so many variables, October 23rd, 2008...no wait...November 14th, 2006...no...July 1st, 2008. Yes, that's it, July 1st, 2008. Definitely July 1st, 2008."

"Why the different dates?"

"The future is fuzzy, so many different paths to take to see there. The past is almost as bad except I know the past that I lived." Mike shook his head as if to clear it before going on, he never did. Instead he slumped forward his head resting on Michelle's shoulder.

Michelle being the kind, compassionate person she is held his head to her shoulder as his hand slipped from around hers. She checked his pulse by pressing her two fingers against the artery in his neck. His heart was beating strong. His breathing was normal and regular. They sat like that for five minutes before Mike lifted his head from her grasp.

"Sorry," Mike said sheepishly.

"No need, I felt the same way just before we sat down." Michelle smiled at Mike, reached up and caressed his cheek. "Are you ok now?"

"Yes, I'm fine thank you." Mike reached up and pressed Michelle's hand to his cheek. Moving it ever so slowly he brought the back of her hand to his lips and gently kissed the soft skin, letting her hand go immediately.

"What was that for?"

"For being you, come on, I'll walk you to your next class." The two rose and slowly walked to Michelle's next class. Mike stayed with her the rest of the day walking her to each of her classes. He actually was quiet knowledgeable of medicine. He even knew of techniques that where cutting edge in the medical profession. Michelle was taken by his wit and boyish charm and his capacity to learn. After her last class Mike walked her to her dorm room, on the way she asked him about his medical knowledge.

"Mike, how did you know about that procedure?"

"Well let's just say I read about it in a medical journal." He winked at her.

"Oh, right. Your future self read about it. Are you a doctor in the future?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I couldn't hack it. I wasn't cut out to be a doctor then."

"But you are so good at it now."

"I am aren't I, but before I wasn't. Back when there was no future and only one past, a long time ago, but only yesterday. Don't look at me like that! If you're confused try to imagine how confusing it must have been, is, for me. At age fourteen my parents almost put me in a mental institution. I shut down completely for two weeks. Didn't talk, only ate when forced and thought about nothing but the future me. After a week I began to get a grasp on what was happening and by the second week I was able to live with what I knew, past and future."

"I'm sorry this is a little hard getting used to."

"Don't worry, I'll only be around until you pass you boards, then I'll be out of your hair and you can live out your life without all this confusion."

"So once I pass my boards no one will try to stop me from saving whoever it is I'm supposed to save?"

"That's right. Our analysis showed that once you passed your boards that it was inevitable that you saved this person's life. History as we know it was locked in as it were."

"Who is this 'Our' you talk of?"

"There are four other people just like me that were in on this analysis as we all lived in the U.S. and could have our future selves look up certain facts from the past. The communication runs both ways. So 'Our' is five independent sources coming to the same conclusion...once you pass your boards you save this person and live happily ever after, a fairytale ending and everything."

They had come to Michelle's dorm room as Mike was finishing his story. Michelle hesitated, Mike opened her door and looked around inside. It was clear.

"All clear. Are you going to be eating in or going to the Student Union?"

"I can't afford the Student Union, so I'll be eating in."

"You know you have an unlimited account at the Student Union. Just a little perk we set up for you. So I'll wait out here while you freshen up and we can go eat." Mike smiled at her.

Michelle just looked astonished and nodded her head as she closed the door. Not all the way just in case Mike wanted to talk while she splashed some cool water on her face. Her head was buzzing with all that she had seen and heard today. She just knew she wouldn't sleep a wink tonight.

Mike slumped down against the wall and slid to the floor exhausted. He was tired beyond belief but knew now wasn't the time for sleep. Michelle needed to be protected and encouraged to continue with her studies. He would be able to sleep tonight once she was safely locked in her dorm room. He would be relieved for the night by his partner.

He could hear Michelle getting herself together. The door opened before he could react.

"Would you like to use my bathroom to freshen up?" she asked him shyly.

Mike struggled up off the floor and slowly entered Michelle's dorm room.

"Thanks," he said as he entered her bathroom and closed the door.

Michelle just stood there staring at the closed door. She wanted to jump into bed and pull the covers up over her head to hide from the world, but something about Mike kept her from running away. His confidence in her becoming a doctor had instilled a confidence in her. He also wasn't bad looking and the more she thought about climbing into bed the more she would want Mike there with her.

As Mike closed the door his exhaustion hit him in the face. Turning on the cold water he bent down and splashed the cool liquid on his face running his hands up into his hair. As the water was spread over his scalp his thoughts turned to Michelle, she was standing up well to the curves he was throwing at her. Hopefully she wouldn't have a nervous breakdown before this was over. The next nine years were going to be the longest years Mike would ever experience.

Mike finished in the bathroom and felt a little better. Hunger was gnawing at his abdomen as he stepped out into Michelle's room. She was lying on the bed, her arm thrown over her eyes, gently snoring. Mike went to her side and tried to gently move her up the bed. She woke swinging and flaying around.